(TH) Orang Utan Boxing, Elephant Polo, Tiger Shows, Crocodile Wrestling and now King Cobra Circus in Thailand

December 18, 2009

Pictures on website.

agers-in-Thailand-stage-battles-with-king-cobras.html

Snake fight: villagers in Thailand stage battles with king cobras Villagers in

Thailand have been pictured staging snake boxing matches with deadly king

cobras.

Published: 9:19AM GMT 17 Dec 2009

The King Cobra Village hosts regular snake boxing matches

Photo: BRONEK KAMINSKI / BARCROFT INDIA

The more provocative or dangerous the fight the more the demanding crowd likes

it

Photo: BRONEK KAMINSKI / BARCROFT INDIA

The self-styled King Cobra Village of Ban Khok Sa-Nga hosts regular snake

boxing matches, where handlers taunt snakes in face-to-face battles.

The strange custom of fighting snakes began when a herb farmer began putting

on shows to attract customers to the village, and the art of breeding and

training snakes has been nurtured ever since.

King cobras are common in Thailand and many families keep them in boxes

under their houses.

The deadly reptiles can often be seen slithering across the dusty streets

when they are not being provoked into fighting.

Villagers proudly point out that they no longer keep chickens and ducks in

their houses as the snakes tend to kill other livestock.

with no doctor or pharmacy nearby, herbal medicines produced by mixing

crushed leaves and lemon juice are the only treatment for those unlucky

enough to get bitten. Three villagers died last year alone in organised

snake fights.

The king cobras venom paralyses its victims nervous system, normally killing

a man within 15 minutes.

The bites are even venemous enough to kill elephants.

Adding to the danger of snake boxing, men can only prove their honour by

fighting the snakes on their own ground.

Tools or weapons are banned and the more provocative or dangerous the fight

the more the demanding crowd likes it.

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